Automatic traffic directing device for garages



Sept. 20, 1949.

P.H.BURN

AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC DIRECTING DEVICE FOR GARAGES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14 1946 TTORNEY P 1949- P. H. BURN 82,

AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC DIRECTING DEVICE FOR GARAGES Filed Nov. 14, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q4; 4 INVENTOR PM; /7. Burn BY imam TTORNEY Patented Sept. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC DIRECTING DEVICE FOR GARAGES Philip H. Burn, Forest Hills, N. Y.

Application November 14, 1946, Serial No. 709,769

1 11 Claims. 'I'My invention relates to garages, and in particular to a novel means for the more efllcient handling of traflic in garages.

With the growing problems of trafilc congestion in large cities and of rising labor costs in the stafling of garages located in such cities, it is becoming desirable, if not necessary, to devise means for handling the maximum number of vehicles in oil-the-street parking with a minimum of perspnnel.

' It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide improved means for the handling of vehicular trailic in a garage.

"Itis another object to provide an improved traffic-control system for garages that will reduce the required number of operating personnel, that is, to provide a garage which will be virtually self-parking.

It is a more specific object to provide novel computing and indicator means for routing trafflc to a first area until that area becomes saturated, and then automatically to route the traffic to another area.

"Other objects and various further features of the invent on will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 schematically indicates in perspective a more or less conventional garage to which my I Fig. 3 is a partially sectionalized side view of a computing device shown associated with suitable counters and indicators according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective schematicallv illustrating application of my invention to another type of garage;

Fig. 5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the interrelation of computers and indicators for the garage of Fig. 4:

- Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective schematicallyillustrating application of my invention to still another type of garage;

Fig; 7 is a schematic wiring diagram for electrical connections in the garage of Fig. 1; and

, Fig. 8 is a similar diagram for the garage of Fig. 4.

Broadly speaking, my invention contemplates a system of computers and indicators applied to a. garage. having a plurality of independently accessible parking areas. In general, 81 fllfii counting means is employed to count the number of vehicles entering a first parking area, a second counting means similarly counts the number of vehicles leaving said first parkin area, a computer resolves the difference between the number of operations of both said counting means, and a traffic-routing indicator responds to the output of the computer so as to route trafflc to a different parking area when the computing device determines that the first parking area has been substantially filled. In the specific forms to be described, additional counting devices are associated with those covering particular parking areas in order to indicate automatically when the whole garage (including all parking areas) has been filled. The computer means may be any means for resolving the difference between two functions, and in the form to be described it is a more or less conventional gear-type differential mechanism.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 my invention is shown in application to a more or less conventional garagehaving a plurality of parking areas which may be identified as separate floor levels I0, I I, I2 and I3. All floor levels are accessible from a single entrance l4 and communicate to a single exit I5 through a system of up-ramps l6, l1, l8 and a system of down-ramps I9, 20, 2!, as will be clear from noting the directional arrows on these ramps.

In accordance with the invention, each parking area or floor is provided with an in-counter 22 for counting vehicles entering the area and with an out-counter 23 for counting vehicles leaving the area. The counters 22-23 may be mechanical switches stretching across the floor of the entrance lane, or any other suitable arrangement.

In the form shown, however, they are conventional photoelectric counters responsive to the simultaneous interruption of twin light beams projected between counter boxes 22' and 22", and between counter boxes 23 and 23", as the case may be. Preferably, the spacing between beams of light is such as to prevent operation of the counter device by light pedestrian traflic but to permit the generation of an electric counting impulse upon the simultaneous interruption of both beams, as by a passing vehicle.

In the form shown, the counting devices 22-23 supply counting impulses to operate solenoidactuated ratcheting devices coupled to the two differential parts of a computing mechanism 24. The in-counter 22 is connected to operate a solenoid 25, which in turn may index a ratchet wheel 25 o e ratcheting P sition for each impulse supplied. In like manner, the solenoid 21, which is connected to out-counter 23, may index another ratchet wheel is one ratchet position for each out-counter impulse. The diflerential computer may be a conventional arrangement comprising two driven bevel gears 28-" and idler or output bevel-gear means 3|, all gears being carried and suitably supported by a yoke or housing 82. Since the ratchet wheels 26-28 are connected to rotate the gears 29-30 in opposing senses, the differential between these motions may be observed in the resulting displacement of the yoke or housing 32. In the form shown, the housing 32 carries a projection or lug 33 for engagement with an electric switch 34 to control the operation of a traflic-control indicator 35.

The arts which have been described may be suitably designed to cause a single rotation of the housing 32 for a counter differential representing the entire capacity of a given parkin area. say for t e floor l0. but in the form shown the parking areas have greater capacitv than can be accommodated in a single rotation of the yoke 32. Accordinglv. the voke 32 may be formed int grally with or secured as by a set screw 36 to a shank 31. threadedly engaging a support standard 38 for the differential system. With this arrangement, it will be appreciated that each rotation of the yoke 32 (re resenting a given increment in the differential betw en in-counter and out-counter operations) will be accom anied bv a pro ort onal axial advance of the differential mechanism and of its o e 2. Suitabl desi ned. the yo e may be axiallv dis laced (rig t in the sense of Fig. 3) suflicentlv to cause the lug 33 to trio the switch 34 when the parking area is saturated'or substantiall filled. In the arrangement shown this trippin of the switch .14 will be accompanied by extinction of t e arrow 39 which directs traillc in o the sat rated arkina area and by llumination or other operation of the signal 48 which directs traffic to another parking area.

Returnin now to a consideration of mv trafliccontrol system as a plied to the entire arage, let it be assumed that it s desirable to fill lower floors or lower levels of parking before proceeding to fill the next upper level. In the ara e of Fi 1 hen. the counter-computer-indicator system wi l direct trailic into the floor Ill until the difl'erential sy tem indicates t at floor to be full or substant ally full. Trafllc will then be routed up the ramp IR a d into t e floor I l. The count ing. comrr'tihg, and indicating process w ich has been described will then be repeated for the floor ll until that floor is substantially full. at which time the computer for floor II will onerate the trafllc-control ndicator to demand that trafllc be routed up ramp I! to floor l2. The process will be re eated again for floor I 2 and for floor 13.

as will be clear. It will be understood that s ould 50 vehicles de art from one of the lower completely filled areas before t e garage is filled on all floor levels, the computer 24 for that-particular floor level will be caused to operate so as to return the lug 33 into operating enga ement with the switch 34. Preferablv. this return or reverse operation of the s itch 34 takes lace af er several cars have let a full floor. so that the ndicator 3! will not route trafllc back on to that floor until there are several vacancies. This "insensitive" operation of the switch 34 may be accomplished by emplo ment of a conventional toggle action in the switch 34. v

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, additional means may be employed near the entrance of the building to indicate whether or not the garage is filled to capacity. This additional function may be performed by appropriate series connection of the computers or indicators for the several floors, but in the term shown a simple single in-counter 4| and outcounter 42 located at the entrance l4 and exit II. respectively, will suiiice. By designing the computing system to cooperate with the counters 4 I 42, a Full indicator 4. may be automatically operated when the computed diiierential represents a capacity load for the entire garage.

For a more detailed consideration of the operation, reference is made to Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, inand out-counters Ill-I04 for floor II will be seen to operate a computing mechanism III, which may be generally similar to that shown in detail in Fig. 3. The indicator 94 is connected to the computing mechanism I", as shown for the indicator 35 in the computing mechanism of Fig. 3. For floor level II inand out-computers 99-100 are connected to operate computer Ill and the indicator :1. For floor level II, inand out-counters I III-I02 are connected to operate computer Hi1 and indicator 44. Finally, the main inand out-counters "-42 for the garage are connected to operate computer Ill and the full sign 43. In the form shown in Fig. 7, all three of the computers LAN-ill may be the same sincethe parking areas on floors ll-l l-li are substantially the same. Since computer Ill operates for the garage as a whole, it should be designed to function only when enough cars have been admitted to the garage to iill all parking areas. Since the first three computers ill-Illliil cover three-quarters of the garage and since the computer I08 covers the garage as a whole, there need be no employment oi such counters and computers for the top floor II; this function of monitoring the top floor II will be understood to be performed also by the counter Ill.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, my invention is shown in application to the routing of tramc through a so-called all-ramp garage, which may be of the type disclosed in the copending patent application Serial bio. 661,964, flied April 13, 1946. For pur oses of clarity, only one traiilc system is included in the drawing (Fig. 4) but it will be appreciated that the principles to be discussed are applicable to the multiple systems disclosed in the above-identified copending application. The single system shown comprises a plurality of intercommunicating inclines or ramps, flowing from an entrance 44 and into an exit 44. The entrance 44 and the exit 45 may open to succeedins. parallel streets defining the block in which the garage is located.

The entrance 44 communicates to a down-ramp 46 and to an up-ramp 41. Exit from the downramp 46 is afforded by an end-aisle 4| communicating to an up-ramp 49 which leads directly to the exit 45. In the form shown, the down-ramp 48 and the up-ramp 49 are formed as one and the same floor surface; alternatively, they may be interleaved with other ramps, as disclosed in the above-identified patent application. The upramp 4! leads to another end-aisle II from which one has the option of proceeding upwards along another up-ramp II or downward toward the exit along a down-ramp 52. The up-ramp II is shown to be similar to the lower ramps 44 and 40. in that it may be adjacent to another down-ramp 53. Both the ramps I and I8 communicate to a landing 84 from which an up-ramp ll ascends to a landing 66. Exit from landing 69 is by way of a down-ramp 51 to the landing 54.

Assuming that it is desirable to fill to capacity alllower slopes of the garage of Fig. 4 before proceeding to all the upper slopes, an indicator 69 may route traflic first into the down-ramp 4 6, or rather into the parking area comprising the down-ramp 46 and the up-ramp 49. In a manner similar to that which has been described for Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the parking area 46-49 may be monitored by a single in-counter 69 and by an out-counter 60, located respectively at the entrance and at the exit of this parking area. For'purposes of simplifying the drawing, the counters shown in Fig. 4 are indicated schematically by lines extending transversely of the lane of traffic at the point to be monitored. The output of both counters 59 and 6|) may be fed to a differential mechanism 6| such as that described in Fig. 3, and it will be clear that when the recorded differential represents the number of vehicles within the area 46-49 to be substantially the capacity of that area, the indicator 58 will be extinguished and a similar indicator 62 illuminated, thereby routing succeeding vehicles into the up-ramp 41.

Since the area represented by the up-ramp 41 includes a traffic aisle which must be used by all vehicles entering upon the upper ramps, it is not accessible independently of the other upper ramps and therefore need not be monitored by a separate counter-and-computing system. However, before trafllc is routed from the end-aisle 50 up the up-ramp 5|, it will be desirable to load the down-ramp 52-which is accessible independently of the up-ramps from ramp 5| on up. For this reason, it is desirable to incorporate an in-and-out counting system for the parking area on ramp 52. Since there are two sources of traflic feeding down-ramp 52, two in-counters 63-64 are employed-the counter 63 tabulating the number of vehicles passing along the endaisle 5!) from ramp 41 into ramp 52, and the counter 64 tabulating the vehicles coming from down-ramp 53 into ramp 52. Out-counting for the ramp 52 may be effected by a counter 65 located at the lower end of the ramp 52. Again, the proper evaluation of Signals from counters 63, 64, 65 may be effected by a suitable computer mechanism 66 generally similar to that disclosed in Fig. 3. However, in the case of counters 63, 64, 65 the combined output of counters 63 and 64 is to be compared differentially with that from counter 65. It will be clear that this summation of the outputs of counters 63 and 64 may be effected by provision of an additional solenoidactuated pawl 66 to operate the in-counting ratchet wheel for the computer 66. whereby impulses from either of counters 63 and 64 may result in an in indexing of the ratchet wheel. When the differential recorded by the computer 66 represents a full parking load for the ramp 52, the computer 66 will be operative to extinguish the traffic arrow 61 directing traflic down into ramp 52 and to illuminate the traffic arrow 95 calling for a flow into the up-ramp 5|.

Again, the traffic aisle in t e ramp 5| must be used by vehicles parking on that ramp and also by vehicles proceeding into other ramps above ramp 5|. Ramp 5| is, therefore, like ramp 51, not independently accessible and, therefore, needs no counting monitoring.

Motorists who find no parking space on'ramp 5| wi l first be directed by a traffic arrow 68 into the down-ramp 53, and in entering this downramp they traverse an in-counter 69. Exit from the area of down-ramp 63 is monitored by the out-counter 64. It will be noted that, like ramp 52. ramp 59 is served by two separate lanes of incoming traflic-one via the end-aisle 54 from up-ramp 5|, and the other from downramp 51. In order, then, to complete the incounting function for ramp 53 another counter 10 may be located at the foot of the down-ramp 51. Counters 69 and 10 may then be suitably ganged (as by electrical connection in parallel, see Fig. 8) so that each supplies adding impulses to a computer 1| for the parking area 53. The computer function also includes subtraction of the counting impulses supplied by the outcounter 64. It will be clear that when a predetermined differential indication is resolved by the computer 1|, so as to represent a full load on the ramp 53, the arrow 68, which points to the right at the top of ramp 5|, will be extinguished and the arrow 12, which points to the left, toward the up-ramp 55, will be illuminated. I

It will be appreciated that once the arrow 12 is illuminated, traflic will be routed up ramp 55 over the end-aisle 56 and down ramp 51 to fill the last remaining parking area in the garage. There remains, therefore, a need only for suitable means to indicate when the garage is full. As in the case of the Fig. Full sign 13 may be operated by counters monitoring total entrance-tramc flow and total exit-traffic flow. In the form shown, all entrance-traffic passes an in-counter 14, and the total exit traffic may be determined from a summation of the impulses supplied by out-counters 60 and 65. The differential of the "in and out counts derived from counters 14 and 66-65 may be resolved by a suitable computer 15 which will operate the Full sign 13 when the garage is filled to capacity. It will be understood that, when cars depart from the garage so as to make space available for further vehicles, one or both of the counters 66-65 will supply sufficient outcounting impulses to cause extinction of the Full" sign. Furthermore, it will be clear that the correct traffic-routing signals will have been illuminated to conduct the new customers to the area in which they can find parking spacesince customers leaving particular parking areas will automatically be counted out so as to show vacancies in those areas.

In Fig. 6 my invention is shown in application to still another type of garage having a plurality of independently accessible parking areas. The Fig. 6 arrangement is a so-called Z-type garage having a plurality of floor levels 16-11 (each split into halves, right and left in the sense of Fig. 6), with mezzanine floor levels 19-19 sandwiched therebetween. For the Z-type floors shown, traffic flow between floors will be substantially as follows. Incoming traffic will arrive on the left end of the lower floor 16 via up-ramp 99 and, once on floor 16 the motorist has the option of parking under the mezzanine 18 on the left end of floor 16, or of proceeding up via upramp 8| to the mezzanine 18. Having reached the mezzanine 18, the option is to park on the mezzanine 18, to proceed up to the right end of floor 11 via the up-ramp 93 or down again to the right end 16' of floor level 16 via a downramp (not visible in Fig. 6). Exit from the right end 16' of floor 16 is by way of a down-ramp 82. Once on the right end of floor 11, the options are again to park (i. e. under the mezzanine 19), or

arrangement, a

7 to proceed up to the mezzanine I8 via an up-ramp (also not visible in Fig. 6) at the far corner of the building. On mezzanine it, the options are once more to park, to proceed downward to the left end 11' of floor I1 via the down-ramp 8!, or

to proceed up to the next fioor (not shown) via an up-ramp 86. .Exit from the left end 11' of fioor 11 is by way of a down-ramp 84, and downtrafiic from the next upper-fioor may flow to the mezzanine I9 via a down-ramp 81.

In applying my invention to the automatic routing of trafiic in a garage such as shown in Fig. 6, counters need be provided again only to cover the independently accessible areas, and.

such routing may be obtained by considering the combination of a mezzanine and of one half of each fioor as an independent parking area. For example, by considering the mezzanine l8 and the right half 16' of floor 18 as a unit, trafiic can be first routed via the up-ramp 80, skirting the ramp 82. In and "out counters 89 and 80 may cooperate with suitable computer means (similar to that shown in Fig. 3) whereby the arrow 88 is extinguished and the arrow 8| illuminated when the half-floor 16' and mezzanine 18 have been filled to capacity. Presumably, the left half of floor 16 will have been filled before motorists begin to seek upper-level parking space via ramp 8|. Illumination of the arrow 8| will mean a directing of trafiic up the up-ramp 83, to skirt the far or right side of the fioor l1, and to proceed up the up-ramp (not shown) at the far corner of the building to the mezzanine I9. At the head of this up-ramp (not shown) stands a system of trafiic-control arrows or other indicator means 92 similar to that which has just been described for the half-floor and mezzanine 'l6'|8. It will be understood that when the filled to capacity, as determined by the computer associated with the in-counter 98 and the outcounter 94, traflic' will be routed to the next higher half-floor (at the left end of the building) via the up-ramp 86.

In order that exit-bound trafiic descending from upper floors will not disrupt the computing functions which have been described for floors 76|'| and for mezzanines 18-19, the outcounters 94 and 90 may also be connected to perform in-counting functions. For example, exit-bound trafiic descending down-ramps 81 and 85 to the half-floor I1 crosses counter 94 just before descending down-ramp 84. In descending down-ramp 84, these vehicles are really entering the parking area |8|6'; and, inasmuch as they will be counted out by the out-counter 98, they should also be counted in" by the counter 94. For this reason, it is desirable that counter-'84 perform the dual function of supplying outcounting impulses to the computer-indicator system for the area 19-11 and of supplying in-counting impulses to the computer-indicator system for the area 18-18. In like manner, it will be understood that the out-counter (not shown) for the parking area immediately above mezzanine it supplies in-counting impulses tor the computer-indicator system for the area II-l1; while the out-counter II for the area 18-18 supplies in-counting impulses for the computer-indicator system for the parking area (not shown) immediately below floor-level It;

It will be appreciated that I have disclosed an improved means for the automatic handling of vehicular trailic in a garage. As applied to a plurality of garage types, the invention makes possible eilicient self-parking." The system is fully automatic while the garage is loading and while vehicles are leaving, and it may be so designed that new customers will always be routed to the lowest level on which there is available space (assuming such to be the desired method of handling trafilc) While I have described my invention for the preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a garage system of the character indicated, first counting means for counting vehicles entering a given area, second counting means for counting vehicles leaving said area, diiferential means for resolving the difference between opera tions of both said counting means, and indicator means responsive to said difierential means, said indicator means including means directing trafilc into said area for difierential operations less than substantially a given number and means directing trafiic away from said area for differential operations greater than substantially said given number.

2. In a garage or the like, first means for counting vehicles entering a given area, second counting means for counting vehicles leaving said area. differential means for resolving the difi'erence between operations of both said counting means. and indicating means responsive to said differential means, and including means directing traffic away from said area upon attainment of a given diflerential between operations of said counter means.

3. In a garage or the like, two parking areas, first counting means for counting vehicles entering the first of said areas, second counting means for counting vehicles leaving said first area, differential means for resolving the difierence between operations of both said counting means, and indicating means for directing traific to said second parking area upon attainment of a* given difi'erential between operations of said counter means.

4. In a garage or the like, two independently accessible areas. indicator means located at the parting of routes to said two areas for routing vehicles to the first of said areas, first counting means for counting vehicles entering said first area. second counting means for counting vehicles leaving said first area, computing means responsive to both said counting means and connected to said indicator means for routing traffic to said second area upon attainment of a pre determined difi'erential between operations of said counting means.

5. In a garage or the like, two parking areas. first counting means for counting vehicles entering the first of said areas, second counting means for counting vehicles leaving said first area, differential means including a first driven element responsive to said first counting means, a second driven element responsive to said sec-' nd counting means, and a diflerential element coupled to said first and said second elements, and indicating means responsive to a given operation of said difl'erential element for routing traiflc to said second area.

6. In a garage or the like, two parking areas, a first counting device located at the entrance to the first of said areas and producing an electric signal for each object passing said entrance, 9. second counting device located at the exit from said first area and producing an electric signal for each object passing said exit, difierential means for resolving the difierence in operations of said counting devices and including solenoidactuated ratchet means coupled to the outputs of each of said counting devices, and indicating means responsive to the differential derived from said differential means for routing trafiic to said second area upon attainment of a predetermined diiiferential between operations of counting devices.

7. In a garage having a plurality of parking levels and ramps communicating with said levels, indicating means for routing trafllc to one of said levels, first counting means for counting the number of vehicles entering said first level, second counting means for counting the number of vehicles leaving said level, computing means for resolving the difference between operations of said counting means, and means connected to said computing means and to said indicating means for directing tramc away from said first level and to another level upon attainment of a predetermined differential in the operation of said computer means, whereby parking may be efficiently completed on said first level before parking on said second level is begun.

8. In a garage having a plurality of parking areas, first counting means for counting all vehicles to enter said garage. second counting mean for counting all vehicles to leave said garage, third counting means for counting vehicles -in one of said areas, diflerential-indicating means responsive to the diflerence in operations of said third counting means and of one of said first two counting means for routing trafiic away from said first area and to a second area, and differential-indicating means for resolving the difiercnce between operations of said first and said second counting means.

9. In a garage having a plurality of parking areas accessible from a single entrance and communicating to a single exit, a first counting device for counting vehicles entering said garage, a second counting device for counting vehicles leaving said garage, a third counting device for counting vehicles entering one of said areas, differential-indicating means responsive to the difference between operations of said third counting device and of said second counting device for commanding a change in the flow of tramc in said garage, and difi'erential-indicating means responsive to the difference in operations of said first two counting means for indicating when said garage has been filled to capacity.

10. In a garage having a plurality of parking areas accessible from a single entrance and communicating with a single exit, a first counter for counting vehicles entering said garage, a second counter for counting vehicles leaving said garage, and a third counter for counting vehicles leaving one of said areas to the exclusion of another of said areas, indicator means for routing vehicles into said one area, computer meansfor resolving the difl'erence between operations of said first and said third counters, said computer means including means coupled to said indicator means for routing trafilc away from said one area and in the direction of a second area upon attainment of a predetermined differential by said computer means, and further computer means responsive to the difference in operations in said first and said second counters for indicating when said garage has been filled to capacity.

11. In a garage or the like having a plurality of parking areas, some of said areas being accessible'independently of other areas, and further of said areas being dependent upon other areas for accessibility, each of said independently accessible areas including in-counter means for counting vehicles entering each said independent area, out-counter means for counting vehicles leaving each said area, computer means for resolving the difference between the counts of both said counterer means, and an indicator for routing trafilc away from each said independent area when said computer means determines that each said independent area is loaded substantially to capacity.

. PHILIP H. BURN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATE PATENTS Number Name Date 1,743,175 Wensley Jan. 14, 1930 2,008,909 Hershey July 23, 1935 2,057,911 Obergfell Oct. 20, 1936 2,421,774 Colt June 10, 1947 

